Bum-Ju the Icebreaker
by azarathianscribbles
Summary: AU. Korra's family is having a yard sale. Thanks to her stuffed animal, Bum-Ju, she befriends a special guest.
**Hello all! This piece is inspired by auprompts on Twitter. If you're ever in need of a cute AU, you should check it out. I apologize for any OOC actions; this is my first time writing these characters and it's been awhile since I've watched the show. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Korra or any of its characters.**

* * *

"Korra! Bring down that box of dishes! The sale's starting."

"Coming, Mom!", Korra yelled, hoisting the box over her shoulder and scrambling down the stairs to the garage.

As she dumped the box on the ground, Korra breathed a sigh of relief that Senna was too preoccupied with the yard sale to scold her for her "rough" treatment of the merchandise. She spotted her mom in the driveway, chatting with someone out of her view. Striding over to see what chores needed to be done, she caught the edge of their conversation.

"Yes, I have a daughter about your age," Senna was saying. "Korra! Come meet Miss Sato."

Her mother stepped aside, revealing the mystery customer. She was wearing a flowy pale yellow sundress with red flats, sunglasses, and a clutch that perfectly matched her rouge lips. Her black hair glinted in the sunlight as she scanned Korra from head to toe.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Sato?" The end of Korra's phrase curled into a question; she couldn't fathom why someone her age deserved such preferential treatment. Then it clicked. "You're Hiroshi Sato's heir! Your Satomobiles are way better than anything made by Cabbage Corp, and I just love the Fire Ferrets…" Korra trailed off, self-conscious of her excited outburst and of her blue tank top and sweatpants.

The stranger chuckled. "Please, call me Asami." She slid her glasses down the bridge of her nose, revealing piercing green eyes.

Korra was starstruck. "Okay, Miss... Asami."

Silent laughter filled Asami's demeanor. "Would you tell me, Korra," she said, "the history of this lovely fellow?" She'd picked up a blue and green rabbit toy and was inspecting it closely, seemingly charmed by its vibrant design.

Korra grinned and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Oh, him?" She gently took the bunny from Asami's hands and bowed. "This, m'lady," she announced, "is Bum-Ju, my guardian spirit from when I was younger."

"Bum-Ju? That's an interesting name. " Asami responded, smiling serenely. Her tone made it clear that an explanation was in order.

Korra rubbed her neck again, embarrassed at her childhood self. "Across the street, our neighbor is a retired war general named Bumi." She jerked her thumb towards his house. " He's a bit eccentric, so naturally I loved hearing his battle stories. The rabbit's named for him; Bum-Ju is short for Bumi Junior. "

The taller girl's sunglasses were back over her eyes, and though she listened intently, Korra found herself missing the sensation of Asami's gaze on hers. She stared absently at the tinted lenses, the bustle of the yard sale becoming a blur around her.

"Look out!" Asami shouted, panicked.

Unable to see over a massive bundle of trinkets, one of the neighbors plowed into Korra, knocking her forward. She snapped out of her stupor in time to twist her face away from the ground, where she found herself staring into a worried pair of green eyes. In her rush to catch Korra, Asami's glasses had fallen off, allowing Korra to admire her savior's face.

The pair stayed frozen in time for a few seconds, identical blushes growing on their cheeks as they realized Asami had caught Korra in a dance-like dip. The moment passed and Korra regained her footing. Miraculously, she hadn't dropped Bum-Ju. She quickly passed the bunny to Asami before dropping to recover the other girl's sunglasses. As she returned them to their owner, Asami spoke.

"Korra, are you sure you'll be okay without your guardian? That was a pretty close call. Perhaps you need him more than I do."

Hearing the uncertainty in Asami's tone, Korra rushed to placate her. "Don't worry, thanks to you," she proclaimed, giving a thumbs up, "I didn't need Bum-Ju."

Asami's blush deepened at the admiration in her voice; Korra thought it made her even cuter.

"Well then, Korra, would you be so kind as to escort me to the checkout line?"

"M'lady, it would be my genuine pleasure.", Korra said, bowing. The pair strolled over to the garage entrance, where Asami took her place in line and Korra took Senna's place as cashier.

After what seemed like an eternity to Korra, Asami stood in front of her, beaming and cradling Bum-Ju. While in line, she had found two of Korra's other stuffed animals, Appa the sky bison and Momo the lemur bat. Korra stifled a chuckle at the sight of the up-and-coming businesswoman looking so besotted by her old toys.

"How much do I owe you, Korra?", Asami asked, putting on a pout at Korra's apparent amusement.

Korra announced the price cheerfully and watched Asami pull the exact change from her clutch. She accepted the coins and placed them in the money box. As they clanked against the box's bottom, a piece of paper fluttered out of her grip—a business card. Korra snatched it out of the air and scanned its contents. Her eyes widened and a blush returned to her cheeks as she read.

 _Korra, I'm so glad I got the opportunity to meet and spend time with you today. Thank you for entrusting me with Bum-Ju, Appa, and Momo. Of course, you'll have to come visit them sometimes; you can find my address on the other side of this card. You'd be surprised how rarely people treat me as an equal, even when I want them too. You were a breath of fresh air for me, and I thank you for that._

 _P.S. -_ Korra's ear's reddened at the end of the note. It was a phone number with the words "Call Me" in elegant loopy handwriting.


End file.
